How did I get here?

​My passion for helping others heal comes largely from my own crazy journey with health and wellness. If you had told me in the early 2000’s that my calling was to become a healer, I would have looked at you like a deer in the headlights. But with pain, illness, and a feeling of helplessness came opportunity, growth, and a shining light into a window of natural medicine that I may have never known existed if it weren’t for that dark time. 

​So here is the story of how I found acupuncture. Disclaimer: this story is personal account and not meant to give doctors a bad rap or claim acupuncture is a cure-all. Rather, I tell it because I wished I had known sooner that spending hundreds of dollars on multiple doctors and prescription drugs (or for some surgery, counseling, etc.) wasn’t my ONLY option. I wished I had known the infinite number of diseases and discomforts that acupuncture and bodywork could treat.

​Throughout my time learning about Chinese medicine and treating patients with acupuncture and herbs, I came across so many patients that found their way to this form of alternative healing as a last resort. Often times they walked away wondering why it wasn't a first. I was one of those people in 2012 when I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome - an endocrine system disorder where cysts grow on the ovaries affecting hormone levels, periods, ovulation, fertility, and as a result causes many physical and emotional discomforts). After I was diagnosed, I spent months being disillusioned with doctors. They used the fear factor to convince me I needed multiple medications indefinitely. They said if I didn't take birth control, anti-androgens, and insulin resistance medication, I wouldn’t be able to have children without fertility drugs, I would gain weight, and I would continue to suffer from the awful side effects of hormonal imbalances (acne, mood swings, irregular and painful periods, fluctuations in weight and breast size, hirsutism, etc.)  I felt trapped, but deep down I knew I wasn’t ready for a pharmaceutical lifetime sentencing, and was desperate for another way.

​Thankfully, a friend from my yoga teacher training pointed me in the direction of an acupuncturist. Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner? Well I grew up in an environment where if you got sick, you went to the family doctor, you took antibiotics (or whatever other prescription drug would alleviate your symptoms), and that was that. I knew very little about alternative medicine, had hardly heard of acupuncture, and certainly wouldn't have thought it could cure me of PCOS. However, I was relieved to hear of an alternative.

​After a couple of months and a handful of acupuncture treatments, all of my undesirable symptoms had lessened or disappeared, and an ultrasound proved that I’d gone from innumerable cysts to NONE! In fact the ultrasound technician said that if it wasn't for some scarring and signs of healing, you never would have known that I had PCOS! It felt like a Chinese medicine miracle.

Not only did this magical medicine feel great and offer unbelievably fast and proficient results, but it was the first time I felt like I was actually being heard by someone in the medical field. I had gotten used to doctors visits where I would sit in a cold room and wait for someone to come and save me from my misery, only to have them ask a couple quick questions while jotting down notes, and then send me off with a diagnosis (a ‘label'), and a prescription that I was trying to avoid in the first place (that or give me a referral to the next specialist, which meant more time and money to get answers). My first experience with Chinese medicine was so refreshing. My acupuncturist sat down with me to discuss all of the inter-workings of my body. She listened, she sympathized, she understood, and then she artfully painted a picture in her head of what had led me to my diagnosis, and created a plan to get to the root of the problem.

​In many ways, acupuncture has saved my health, happiness, and hope for a beautiful future. Thankfully, we now live in a time and place where many people are aware that acupuncture exists and perhaps even have friends, family members, or personal testimonials alluding to its power. However, I still get asked often about what acupuncture can treat, or see the surprised look on people’s faces when they realize it could help them. You can see a list of what acupuncture treats here, and also please know that I am always open to a free phone call to discuss whether or not it can help you. 

​As far as my massage background goes, I have been practicing since 2010. I spent my first few years working at high end spas and discovered it wasn't fulfilling my dreamshelp people heal on a deeper level. My work transformed SO MUCH after acupuncture school, where I obviously obtained a whole new outlook on the human body and its tissues, and also the interconnectedness of all things. I started incorporating focus on acupuncture points/meridian lines (which interestingly enough have been discovered to align with fascial lines/networks), which explains why a point on the pinky finger can affect the heart, for example. I could go into much greater detail about this discovery, but if you want to read more, here is a good article, or just come and feel it for yourself in my work!

​I am very fortunate to live and practice medicine in Colorado, surrounded my so many other amazing healers and health conscious individuals. My hope is to offer my services to people from all walks of life, so if there is anything stopping you from coming in to see me please reach out and we will find a solution. I look forward to connecting with you, helping you achieve your health goals, and inspiring you to reach your highest potential!